The National Pharmacy Association warns that wasted medicines in England could fill 75 swimming pools annually, costing the NHS at least £480 million. An estimated 3,400 tonnes of medicines were discarded in 2024-25, driven by patient over-ordering and complex regimes. Experts warn that leftover antibiotics fuel antimicrobial resistance, while NHS England highlights digital app tools and local campaigns to optimize prescription management.
NHS medicine waste volume
- ▪Under English regulations, any medicine that leaves a pharmacy must be disposed of if returned, even if it is completely unused and unopened.
- ▪The National Pharmacy Association estimated that 3,400 tonnes of partly used medicines, enough to fill 75 swimming pools, were disposed of in England in 2024-25.
- ▪The National Pharmacy Association stated that returned medicines must be disposed of in a pharmacy and are not permitted to be put in general waste.
Annual cost to NHS
- ▪The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board previously reported spending approximately £10 million a year on medicines that go unused.
- ▪The National Pharmacy Association estimated that wasted medicines cost the National Health Service in England at least £480 million annually.
Patient over-ordering behavior
- ▪The National Pharmacy Association reported that patients on complex medication regimes are more likely to return unused medicines or unopened boxes.
- ▪The National Pharmacy Association stated that some patients order extra medication just in case it is needed later, rather than because it is currently necessary.
Antimicrobial resistance risks
- ▪Dr. Rasha Abdelsalam Elshenawy stated that surplus medicines present patient safety, financial, environmental, and drug resistance problems.
- ▪Dr. Rasha Abdelsalam Elshenawy of the University of Hertfordshire warned that keeping leftover antibiotics at home and taking them later without medical advice fuels antimicrobial resistance.
Medication review recommendations
- ▪The National Pharmacy Association called for more regular medication reviews for patients prescribed multiple medicines to ensure they are fully utilized and to identify unneeded drugs.
- ▪The National Pharmacy Association urged patients to only request medicines they really need when ordering repeat prescriptions.
NHS digital prescription tools
- ▪An NHS England spokesperson stated that several local NHS services are running campaigns to reduce medicines waste alongside wider efforts to optimize medicine use.
- ▪An NHS England spokesperson stated that the organization has enabled people to better manage their repeat prescriptions on mobile phones through the NHS app.
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